Matthew Healy escapes conviction for Playford Primary School, College incidents

A series of ‘bizarre and concerning’ school toilet incidents led police to a family home where they charged a 21-year-old with possessing child exploitation material.

A 21-year-old man was allegedly caught with child exploitation material after a separate police investigation into bizarre and sexualised incidents in school toilets led them to him.

Matthew Healy, a gardener from Craigmore, pleaded guilty in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court to unlawfully being on the grounds of Playford Primary School and Playford College and to damaging toilet blocks at the schools when he gained entry to them.

Healy escaped conviction for the charges after the court heard he made his way into female school toilets on three different occasions before pornographic images, condom wrappers, a blonde wig and a pink bra were found in cubicles.

He also faced a charge of possessing child exploitation material, but no plea was entered to it.

The court heard Healy was using amphetamines when he walked into Playford Primary School at night in late March and jemmied open a door to a toilet block.

Craigmore 21-year-old Matthew Healy has been charged with possessing child exploitation material and other summary offences. Picture: Facebook

A police prosecutor told the court a condom wrapper, condom and pornographic images duct taped to the female toilet walls were found in the toilet the following day.

The prosecutor told the court Healy committed “similar” behaviour at Playford College a few days later before a cushion and condom wrapper were found in those toilets as well.

About a month later Healy returned to Playford Primary School and the next day a blonde wig, Bonds bra and condom wrapper were found in the toilets.

At least one of the incidents was reported to police by the school’s assistant principal and Healy was identified by CCTV from the school.

Andrew Ey, for Healy, told the court his client’s amphetamine use had been keeping him up at night at the time of the incidents which partly explained his “bizarre and concerning behaviour”.

“He started to take to the streets wandering at random hours with very little to do,” Mr Ey said.

“He can’t fully explain the decision to break in and do what he did in the school.

“He’s now on the path to obtaining the treatment he needs to address his drug use to ensure that this bizarre behaviour does not occur again.

Playford Primary School. Picture: Google Maps

Magistrate Terence Forrest said despite the facts suggesting Healy may have been living out a sexual fantasy, he could only be sentenced on the charges before the court.

“The facts strongly suggest, although there is no proof of this or evidence of this, that on those first two occasions at least, you were giving vent to some form of sexual fantasisation and doing so with your judgment impaired by the consumption of drugs,” he said.

“I hasten to add that having a sexual fantasy is not unlawful, it’s not even abnormal – it’s quite normal behaviour for adults and mature people.

“It might be thought by some the behaviour that you seemingly engaged in at the time perhaps might make a difference about whether the normal course of no conviction should be followed in this instance, but in my view … you’re not charged with anything of that (sexual) nature, not before this court, and so I regard that as irrelevant to the question of whether or not convictions should be recorded.”

Mr Forrest ruled no conviction would be recorded but Healy would be subject to an 18 month good behaviour bond.

Healy would appear before the courts on the child exploitation material charge in November.